Boise State Outplays Ewu In Big Sky Men’s Opener

After a full week of practice in preparation for Friday night’s Big Sky Conference opener at Boise State, Eastern Washington basketball coach Steve Aggers thought his team was ready for the Broncos’ defensive pressure.

Twenty-two turnovers changed his mind and helped spark Boise State to a 73-49 rout of the Eagles before 6,604 in the BSU Pavilion.

“You’ve got to give them a great deal of credit,” said Aggers. “They out-competed us, were more aggressive and more assertive. It’s my fault for not having us better prepared.”

EWU (2-10) hadn’t played since a Jan. 5 home loss to Gonzaga. BSU (5-8) had been off since Jan. 6.

Gerry Washington hit four 3-pointers and scored 14 points to lead the Broncos.

Melvin Lewis, who had 23 points and 16 rebounds in EWU’s victory here last season, grabbed four boards Friday and did not score. Leading scorer D’mitri Rideout had just five points, making 1 of 9 field goals.

“I was disappointed in our seniors,” Aggers said, “especially for guys who have been in the league and know what it takes. But I think they’ll bounce back.”

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